Social Media

  • Sharing – Are you okay? The power of storytelling in mental health

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    As I mentioned, in the workplace this is true. Very few people are going to feel safe talking about their own struggles if the leaders in the company never open up about their own at some level. But, it’s also true in our relationships as well.

    How many of us wish the people in our lives, spouses, kids, siblings, friends and loved ones, would feel comfortable talking to us about their struggles, yet we never share our own? How would they know that you are a safe person to talk to if you appear to never have any struggles?

    Let me give you a prime example from my own life. As many of you know, I worked from home before the pandemic started, and continued to do so all the way through 2020. It had very little impact beyond some lack of socializing, on my life, and so when I compared that to what many others were going through in 2020, I didn’t really want to complain about the things I was struggling with. Most people I did talk to, didn’t really talk about their own struggles either. Finally, however, when I wrote a post about not being OK right now, and shared it across my social media profiles, including LinkedIn, I got notes and messages from a ton of people, some who I haven’t even been in touch with in awhile, telling me about their struggles as well.

    I attribute that to two things. One, I know a lot of amazing people who see someone struggling and immediately set out to make sure I knew I wasn’t alone, and two, by sharing my own difficulties, I also provided them a safe place to share their own struggles.

    Isn’t that what it’s really all about?

    So, what are you struggling with that you have been hiding? What good is hiding doing for you?

  • Have We Overlooked Men When Talking About Body Shaming?

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I’ve been lucky enough to see a couple of men talk about eating disorders, and body image, but I’ll be the first to admit, if you asked me, based on what I see and hear, if these were mostly women’s issues, I’d probably say yes. But that’s wrong. These are very much men’s issues and trans issues as well. We make jokes about dad bods and assume it’s no big deal because it’s men, and they don’t have the same problems, and hang ups, but we do. There are far more people in the world struggling with their body, and disordered eating, who aren’t included in the conversation because we assume it’s a young women’s issue. 

  • Sharing – Your Burnout Is Unique. Your Recovery Will Be, Too.

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    As the authors point out, your approach to self-care should be different depending on what is causing the burnout. If you’re just exhausted from a lack of sleep, overwork, etc. taking a day to rest, relax, and take care of yourself might be the best thing you can do for yourself. (Recognizing, as mentioned above, that if you’re overworked, fixing that falls on other people and the company) On the other hand, if you’re burned out from watching the news, and developing really a very cynical outlook of other people. spending a day isolating yourself from social connections even further, might not really be the best option. So, self care starts to look a little different depending on not only your own individual preferences, but also what it is that is causing these feelings of burnout. 

    Of course, the struggle here is knowing yourself, and your emotions.

  • Sharing – Survey: More Young People Are Depressed During the Pandemic. But They May Be Using Social Media to Cope

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    I’ve seen this possibility since 2001, when I started blogging. The possibility that someone, somewhere, dealing with mental health issues, or overcoming abuse, would hop online looking for someone, anyone, who understands that they are dealing with.

    We’ve never had more ways to connect with each other, even during a pandemic. Why not use them, and why not be the person who connects others online?

  • Sharing – On TikTok, mental health creators are confused for therapists. That’s a serious problem.

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    But, if you had a broken arm, you wouldn’t hop online and talk to your life coach. You’d go see a professional to have it treated. There’s a reason for that, just as there should be a reason why, when someone needs mental health advice, they should get it from professionals, and not random people on the internet.

  • Shared Links (weekly) March 7, 2021

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    Introduction to Tanya J. Peterson, Author of ‘Mental Health for the Digital Generation’

    Toxic Childhood? 10 Lessons You Must Unlearn in Adulthood

    Five tips to keep your children safe online

    How To Be Intentional With Social Media Use

    Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness

    Here’s What Happens When Social Workers, Not Police, Respond To Mental Health Crises

    Former Gymnast Sarah Klein Discusses Coach John Geddert’s Sex Abuse Charges